Cable cleats, saddles and J type hangers can be custom manufactured to accommodate extra high voltage (EHV) power cables and steelwork support fixing.

National Grid London Power Tunnel

The project will help ensure Londoners continue to enjoy safe and reliable electricity supplies. When complete there will be over 30km of tunnels carrying high voltage cables between substations in Wimbledon, Hackney, Willesden and St John’s Wood.

Ellis’ Centaur cable saddles, which were developed specifically for use with high voltage cables, were specified by Sϋdkabel, the German manufacturers of the cables being installed in the National Grid tunnels. The order was secured on the back of recent work for National Grid and the fact Ellis Patents was able to prove the suitability and safety of its Centaur product for the project’s specification.

Richard Shaw, Managing Director of Ellis, said: “This order has given us dual cause for celebration. Firstly, it’s the largest the company has ever won and secondly it demonstrates why we place so much emphasis on research and development.”

Back in 2008 Ellis launched Centaur; a heavy-duty extruded aluminium saddle cleat that had been designed and developed in-house in response to a serious safety issue surrounding the restraint of high voltage cables up to 400kV with a diameter range of 100 to 160mm.

Ellis Patents Centaur Saddle – Hinged Aluminium Overstrap

“At the time neither the British nor European Standards took into account cleats on cables of this size,” explained Richard. “This meant those specifying for such jobs were very much in the hands of the cable cleat manufacturers, who in most cases simply provided warranties for their cable support products.”

“The problem with this was that none of the products available had been short circuit tested, and so the warranties were based purely on calculations and mechanical tests. As such there was no proof the saddle cleats being used would withstand the most testing elements of the job they’d been bought for.”

Ellis Patent Centaur Cable Saddles – Tunnel Cables

Prior to launch, Ellis put the new product through the most rigorous of testing procedures.

Using cable manufactured by ABB in Sweden, the company shipped the Centaur cable saddles and ABB cable to the Netherlands where they were tested to 163 kA peak and 63 kA RMS for one second, in both 3 phase and phase to phase fault scenarios.

“We invested well over £100,000 in designing, developing, testing and bringing Centaur to market,” added Richard. “At the time this was the largest amount we’d ever invested in one new product, but we did so with confidence that it had the potential to solve a major safety issue and fill a gap in a growing market sector – something that has since been proved wholly correct.”

Ellis Patents Centaur Cable Saddle Specifications

The following selection table provides information to enable the specification or purchase of the correct cable cleat – contact Thorne & Derrick for further technical information, installation advice, samples or to place an order.

Part Number

Cable Range Dia.

Length Of Cable Saddle

Ellis Patents CS100-112/400

100mm – 112mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS108-122/400

108mm – 122mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS120-132/400

120mm – 132mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS128-142/400

128mm – 142mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS140-152/400

140mm – 152mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS148-162/400

148mm – 162mm

400mm

Ellis Patents CS100-112/600

100mm – 112mm

600mm

Ellis Patents CS108-122/600

108mm – 122mm

600mm​

Ellis Patents CS120-132/600

120mm – 132mm

600mm​

Ellis Patents CS128-142/600

128mm – 142mm

600mm​

Ellis Patents CS140-152/600

140mm – 152mm

600mm​

Ellis Patents CS148-162/600

148mm – 162mm

600mm​

Ellis Patents CS100-112/800

100mm – 112mm

800mm​

Ellis Patents CS108-122/800

108mm – 122mm

800mm​​

Ellis Patents CS120-132/800

120mm – 132mm

800mm​​

Ellis Patents CS128-142/800

128mm – 142mm

800mm​​

Ellis Patents CS140-152/800

140mm – 152mm

800mm​​

Ellis Patents CS148-162/800

148mm – 162mm

800mm​​

Ellis Patents Centaur cable saddles consists of an extruded and pressed aluminium saddle and a hinged aluminium overstrap, which incorporates a Low Smoke Zero Halogen Polymeric liner. The curvature of the cable saddle accommodates the thermal expansion of the cable and the ends of the saddle are flared so that the cable never comes into contact with a sharp edge under any circumstances.

INSTALLING CABLE CLEATS

Installation instructions for single way or trefoil cables using Centaur saddles manufactured by Ellis Patents:

1. Position the Centaur onto the mounting structure.Tighten the central M16 bolt to the structure using a 24mm socket or spanner set

2. With care install the cable into the saddle

3. Attach the strap to the saddle, ensuring that
the liner is in place.

4. Close the strap onto the M12 fixings. Using a 19mm socket or spanner for the head of the set screws and an 18mm socket or spanner for the flange nuts, tighten the strap to an appropriate torque for the cable